1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cutting and shaping devices and more particularly pertains to a multiple task woodworking apparatus for performing a plurality of tasks upon a workpiece such as cutting, turning, and routing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of cutting and shaping devices is known in the prior art. More specifically, cutting and shaping devices heretofore devised are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
For example, a dado lathe is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,802 which may be utilized with a table saw to perform numerous cutting operations on a piece of wood stock. Using the dado lathe device, a square wood stock can be turned to a round wood stock, spirals and grooves can be cut in the wood stock, the wood stock can be tapered, and beading and reeding can be cut along the length of the wood stock.
A woodworking assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,578 which includes a conventional table saw having a table and a projecting circular saw blade. A stock moving apparatus is associated with the saw table to move a piece of stock material into engagement with the saw blade. Additionally, a pattern apparatus is provided to impart a particular shape in the stock material when the material is passed over the saw blade.
Another patent of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,772 which teaches a carving attachment for table saws that mounts onto a table saw and provides a carriage for holding a pattern such that a workpiece will be engaged by the circular saw blade to duplicate the pattern configuration.
Other known prior art cutting and shaping devices include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,899,795 and 3,116,769.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a woodworking apparatus for performing a plurality of tasks upon a workpiece such as cutting, turning and routing which includes a table having a table saw, a lathe, and a pair of routers mounted thereto with a plurality of transverse journals operable to receive a workholder such as a lathe tailstock or a sliding workpiece clamp. Furthermore, none of the known prior art cutting and shaping devices teach or suggest a pair of routers mounted in a spaced and counter-rotating relationship such that both a tongue and groove may be simultaneously formed in the workpiece passed therebetween.
In these respects, the multiple task woodworking apparatus according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of performing a plurality of tasks upon a workpiece such as cutting, turning, and routing.